Share your Starlink RV install and experiences

[Scotttkd2]

Thought I would make an update, I finally got out of the "starlink cable through the window" mode. I looked in the master bedroom cabinets and found a cat6 cable labeled satelite, toned it and found it in the basement. I cut it, put a cat6 jack on one side and cat6 plug on the other, so I did not ruin future use of the cable as it was intended to be used. For my purposes though, I plugged the cat6 plug into the starlink adapter and router now moved to the basement, the other end into the wan port of my pepwave max duo mounted in the area where the bedroom tv used to be. Accomplished what I wanted which was a cat6 cable up in the bedroom in the TV compartment but without having to run new cables in to and through the full wall slide mechanism. Using my existing ubiquiti router fed from the pepwave lan port for wife to plug ethernet into and for wifi in the coach, and all working well. Happy to not have the cable through the bedroom window anymore!

 

[lemondrop9344]

Marc2912,
Every configuration presents unique opportunities based on physical limitations, the equipment available & the user's needs.
You posed the following question in a previous post; 'Why would you not wire your starlink to the peplink?'
Not withstanding the hassle of running Ethernet cable & using the proprietary Starlink Ethernet adapter, the simple response, in my case.............. what will I gain by hard wiring the Starlink router to my Peplink router?
I just ran an Advanced Starlink speed test. Results are posted below.
Starlink satellite to Starlink router Download speed: 253 Mbps Upload speed 25 Mbps.
Starlink router to Android phone WiFi Download speed 566 Mbps Upload speed 469 Mbps
In so far as my router has a superior processor & antennas over my 4 year old phone, I would assume the WiFi signal from the Starlink router to the Peplink router would be as robust if not better.
I believe we all agree the weakest link in most Starlink installations will be the signal from the satellite to the DISHY/router.
In my example, I'm attempting to show there may be situations where Ethernet wiring of Starlink components will not necessarily be worth the hassle involved.

 

[Neal]

Your test results baffle me a little but I am half way through second cup of coffee and will re-read after complete

I know with one other there was a difference between and old iPhone between phone and router and far better speeds with a Wi-Fi connection from Pepwave with Wi-Fi 6 and Starlink router. No cables, but the Wi-Fi 6 I believe made the difference and I even believe distance was further.

So again, help me with your example and what you're showing and how Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet is proven different as I can't understand the sample case.

But again, Wi-Fi 6 (or better) I believe is a key for better transfer rates for non cabled connections.

 

[lemondrop9344]

Neal,
I put forth this example to demonstrate that one did not necessarily require an Ethernet connection from the Starlink router to, in my case a Peplink router, attain a robust signal inside a RV LAN. This was in response to Marc2912's question wondering why I would not want a hard wired connection from the Starlink router.
As it relates to WiFi 6........... I don't know if the Starlink router does or does not take advantage of this technology. I am using an older phone with a Snapdragon 835 chip, rated @ 1GB theoretical xfer speed. To the best of my knowledge it does not have WiFi 6 capability. I assume WiFi 6 functionality does not come into play until the signal is routed through the Peplink device.
Using the Android Starlink app, I went to the Starlink advanced speed test. If I understand what it is showing...... It reflects Download/Upload speeds from the Starlink satellite to the Starlink router & the Download/Upload speeds from the Starlink router to the Android phone (not the Peplink router).
Based on these results (I've run this test multiple times), it suggests my Android phone processes the WiFi signal from the Starlink router at least as twice as fast as the Starlink router can receive the signal from the satellite. Assuming my interpretation of the speed test data is correct, I question what signal improvement I would gain by hardwiring the Starlink router to my Peplink router.
I am still in the 'run the Starlink cable from the DISHY to the Starlink router mode'. For the time being this is a conscious decision.
I have the Starlink router around 6' - 7' away from my Peplink device using paddle antennas.
For the record, I am a big time advocate of hard wiring as many devices as possible on a LAN. However, running Ethernet cable in a RV can sometimes be more difficult than running cable in a S&B residence. If a LAN WiFi connection is performing as well or better than the incoming signal (in this case from the satellite to the Starlink router) why would I want to go through the hassle of running cable?
A lot of words on my part attempting to clarify my thought process on this. If I have interpreted the data incorrectly, it will certainly not hurt me feelings to have someone correct me.

 

[Scotttkd2]

Hi lemondrop, it has been covered more extensively elsewhere but there are known issues with SOME peplink products with using wifi as wan and wifi to devices. It involves channel collisions (in on 2.4 and out on 2.4, ditto on 5) and has not been fixed by peplink. Unfortunately after spending a lot of money (my perspective) on a peplink max duo, I have found I am one of the unlucky ones with this specific problem. Since I cant hard wire everything in the RV for the exact reasons you mention, if I hard wire the wan from starlink to pepwave I can use wifi elsewhere with no issues. Bottom line, if your device supports wifi on wan properly, you are correct there is probably little benefit to hard wiring and most would never be able to tell the difference in service quality. Unfortunately my option was to flush the money I had already invested in peplink equipment and replace it, or find a way to make it work. My post just above explains how I currently set up and now have solid wifi, load balancing on 3 ISP providers with emergency backup and a happy wife who is still working full time from the RV. Hope that helps explain why some of us have to have the ethernet to make this work. For the rest of you that dont need it, Im jealous!!

 

[lemondrop9344]

Scotttkd2,
Understand what you are saying.
I have not experienced any WiFi as WAN issues with Starlink or with the RV park WiFi when routed through my Peplink device (Max BR1 PRO LTEA)..... that I know of.
Signals out of the Peplink are hardwired with the exception of the multiple ROKU devices.
Latest responses were more or less to respond to questions from Neal & Marc2912.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

We have the issue scottkd2 mentioned in our Pepwave Transit Duo Max — cannot reliably use a WiFi band for both input and output.

So I use 2.4 for input (reach further to campground WiFi when available and Starlink) and our devices all connect to Pepwave on the 5.8

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I was attempting the install with a home version we are using for out home office. I tried to set it up at my RV about 15 miles away. See my post about it not working.

Home version unless roaming service is registered to location.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Thanks again, Neal and Scottkd2, for the great on-point info.
On the theft issue, someone told me that the Starlink is like an iPad, in that if it gets stolen, you can deactivate it / report the theft to Starlink, and no one else will be able to use it, even with their own account. If so, that removes a lot of the motivation to the thief. Anyone know if this is true?

I suspected that to be true from above post about used dish.

Most people that have used sat tv know the dish to be useless without the box,but???

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Ran across this video. Interesting.

I watched the video! I watched it twice, matter of fact. I saw numbers, but no personal data. Fact is I tried to hear her say she ever took delivery! Did anyone else notice that?

This is my view of starlink!!!

If I didn't have it, I would not even have phone service, that is how bad cell service is most of the places I go. And yes, I have tried many cell companies. At&t, Verizon, t-mobile, and Sprint before the merge.

I asked real people that actually were using starlink for their view and opinions before I took the plunge, but more than that, I read everything on the website as well. Service can drop as low as is not the same as will drop to, as said in the video.

Guess I can see motive when I see it!!! I used to watch her videos, but now I know why I no longer do!

Just saying.